Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1978, August 10 - Crossing accident  Hull. CPR., Lachute sub., three injuries

Ottawa Citizen 10 August 1978 Three hurt as car and train collide Three Hull women were seriously injured this morning in a car-train crash in Hull. The injured, all occupants of the car, are being treated in Hull's Sacre Coeur Hospital. Michcline Bertrand, 21, of 16 St. Henri St., the driver, suffered mutiple fractures and cuts to the right leg. Passengers Lynne Mathews, 19, of 295 St. Pierre St., suffered multiple leg fractures and Louise Pacquette, 22, of 9 Larose St., sustained multiple fractures to the left arm and head injuries. Her month-old son, Patrick, was not injured. The accident occured at 8:38 a.m. at the Montclair Street railway crossing just south of St. Joseph Boulevard. The car was travelling north on Montclair when it collided with the Montreal-bound Canadian Pacific diesel single-car dayliner. CP officials said the diesel car was slightly damaged. The accident caused a one hour delay in the regular schedule. The Bertrand car was badly smashed on impact and was dragged some 12 metres from the crossing along the railway tracks. Hull police investigatcrs have not yet determined if the car had stopped to let the train go by. "One thing we know is that the train warning lights on both sides of the road were functioning, " said police captain Robert Laramee. The accident is about the third at that intersection in the last 12 years and employees at the adjacent Pilon Lumber store say it is time something is done about it. "It is a very busy road and there is no reason for not having a barrier at that railway crossing, " said Louis Laflamme, store manager. His employees first called police and ambulances to the scene. "There wasn't much noise on impact, but before I knew what was happening someone came running in asking that we call for police and ambulances," Laflamme said. Police are continuing the investigation and said it was too early to say if any charges will be laid

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Updated 31 May 2020